CN103339374A - Apparatus utilizing buoyancy and method of use thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus comprising a tank having an open top, tank walls, and a closed bottom. A first ringwall extends from the bottom such that a first annular space is defined by the first ringwall and the tank wall, and a second annular space is defined by the first ringwall. The second ringwall extends in the second annular space and defines a third annular space between the first ringwall and the second ringwall, and a cylindrical space. The air duct extends through the cylindrical space. The compartment arranged in the cylindrical space has a closed chamber and a displacement chamber. An inner riser disposed in the third annular space has an open bottom and rests against the inner ringwall. The outer riser rests against the outer ringwall and is arranged in the first annular space and has a closed top, a wall, and an open bottom.

Description

Apparatus utilizing buoyancy and method of use thereof

Cross References to Related Applications

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 61/411,772, filed November 9, 2010, the entire contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

Background technique

1. Technical field

The inventive concepts disclosed herein relate generally to devices utilizing buoyancy and methods of use thereof. More specifically, but not in a limiting manner, the inventive concepts disclosed herein relate to devices and methods of use for exploiting buoyancy by multiplying a liquid column above several surfaces of a diving body.

2. Brief description of related technical fields

It has been explored that the properties of buoyancy make it a renewable or "green" source of energy because it enables the use of the buoyancy of objects in water without the attendant environmental pollution and greenhouse gases.

Prior art buoyancy devices generally rely on harnessing the buoyancy energy of waves or flowing water, and thus have limited application because they must be installed in specific locations where waves or flowing water are available to work. Further, these prior art devices cannot produce consistent energy levels because the energy output of these prior art devices is affected by fluctuations in waves, tides, and seasonal water level changes.

Another problem with existing buoyancy devices is that they are often complex devices with multiple components that require frequent maintenance and replacement and are expensive to implement and operate. Further, these complex devices often suffer from inefficiencies, and they are often unreliable due to overly complex designs.

Therefore, there is a need for a device that can be installed anywhere and that can harvest buoyancy to generate consistent power. The concept of the present invention is directed to such a device and its method of use.

Description of drawings

In the figures the same reference numerals denote and indicate the same or similar elements or functions. The disclosed embodiments are better understood when considered in its detailed description below. These descriptions refer to the accompanying illustrations, diagrams, diagrams, graphs, and appendices. In the picture:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a unit of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of an external case according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

Fig. 3B is a top view of the external case shown in Fig. 3A.

4A is a cross-sectional view of a pod constructed in accordance with the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

Figure 4B is a bottom view of the pod shown in Figure 4A.

Figure 4C is a top view of the pod shown in Figure 4A.

Figure 5A is a cross-sectional view showing a pod and inner annular wall in a fully submerged state according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

Figure 5B is a cross-sectional view of the compartment and annular wall shown in Figure 5A in a pre-filled state.

Figure 5C is a cross-sectional view of the compartment and annular wall shown in Figure 5A in a fully extended state.

6 is a cross-sectional view showing an inner riser constructed in accordance with the inventive concepts disclosed herein submerged in an outer tank.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an embodiment of an external riser submerged in an external tank according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

8A is a cross-sectional view of the indenter-extender shown in FIG. 7 .

Figure 8B is a top view of the indenter-extender shown in Figure 8A.

Figure 9A is a side view of an embodiment of an outer riser constructed in accordance with the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

Figure 9B is a top view of the outer riser shown in Figure 9A.

Figure 9C is a cross-sectional view of the head-extender of the outer riser shown in Figure 9A.

Figure 1OA is a cross-sectional view of the lower portion of the outer riser in Figure 9A.

Figure 10B is a bottom view of the lower portion of the outer riser shown in Figure 10A.

Figure 10C is a top view of the lower portion of the outer riser in Figure 10A.

11 is a schematic diagram of a hydraulic capture system according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

12 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a differential air mass exchanger according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

13 is a front view of an embodiment of a differential air mass exchanger according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a device constructed in accordance with the inventive concepts disclosed herein in a fully submerged state.

Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of the device shown in Figure 14 in a pre-filled state.

Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 14 at a midpoint between the submerged state and the extended state.

Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 14 at a midpoint between the submerged state and the extended state, with air expansion not shown for clarity.

Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view of the device shown in Figure 14 in a fully extended state.

19 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

20 is a front view of an exemplary embodiment of a mass exchanger according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

Detailed ways

Before explaining at least one embodiment of the inventive concepts disclosed herein in detail, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts are not limited to the details of construction and components or steps set forth in the following description or shown in the drawings. or the application of permutations of methods. The inventive concepts disclosed herein are adaptable to other embodiments or to being practiced and carried out in different ways. Furthermore, it should be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the inventive concepts and claims in any way unless specifically stated to the contrary.

In the following detailed description of embodiments of the inventive concept, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a deeper understanding of the inventive concept. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the inventive concepts in the disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the disclosure.

The symbols "a-n" added to reference numerals as used herein are for convenience of shorthand only to indicate one, or more than one, and up to an infinite number of elements or features identified by a respective reference numeral (eg 100a-n) . Similarly, letters following a reference number are intended to indicate the implementation of a feature or element, which may be similar, but not necessarily identical, to a previously described element or feature having the same reference number (eg, 100 , 100a, 100b, etc.). Such shorthand notations are used for clarity and convenience only and should not be construed as limiting the inventive concept in any way unless specifically stated to the contrary.

Further, unless specifically stated to the contrary, "or" means an inclusive or, not an exclusive or. For example, the condition A or B is satisfied by any of the following: A is true (or exists) and B is false (or does not exist), A is false (or does not exist) and B is true (or exists), and A and Both B are true (or exist).

Additionally, the use of "a" or "an" is used to describe elements and components of the embodiments herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the inventive concept. Such description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it means otherwise.

Finally, any reference to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" as used herein means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in relation to an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment middle. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

Referring now to FIG. 1 , an exemplary embodiment of a device 100 according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein is shown. The device 100 comprises two units 101 a and 101 b connected by a differential air mass exchanger 102 . Each unit 101 includes an outer tank 104 , a compartment 106 , an inner riser 108 , and an outer riser 110 connected to a hydraulic capture system 112 . The outer tank 104 is at least partially filled with a liquid 114 as described below.

The two units 101a and 101b are substantially identical in structure and function. Therefore, only unit 101 will be described in detail herein.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-3B , the external tank 104 may be any external tank 104 capable of containing a liquid 114 , such as water or other suitable liquid 114 . The outer tank 104 may be of any suitable size and shape, but is shown as being generally cylindrical in shape with an open end, a generally flat horizontal bottom 116 , and a generally vertically extending cylindrical tank wall 118 . In some embodiments, the box wall 118 may include more than one section, such as, for example, a first box wall section 118a and a second box wall section 118b. For example, the outer case 104 is made of steel or other stainless material of sufficient strength and durability. The outer tank 104 may include a cover (not shown) to protect the unit 101 and the liquid 114 within the outer tank 104 from environmental elements. The cover may be lockable to prevent unauthorized access to the interior of the outer case 104 . Additionally, the outer tank 104 may include insulation, heating and/or cooling devices, such as drain and fill valves.

The outer tank 104 may be stationary, or fixed to a mobile platform (not shown), such as a land-based vehicle, a water-based vehicle, or an air-based vehicle. According to the environmental factors of the location of the external box 104, and the selection of the material of the external box 104 and the equipment 100, the liquid 114 contained in the external box 104 can be any liquid 114, such as tap water, distilled water, sea water, lake water, mineral oil, machine oil , and compositions thereof, and may include any number of chemical additives such as salts and/or pH buffering agents. In a non-limiting embodiment, the liquid 114 used in the external tank 104 may include various proportions of ethylene glycol, water and glycol, or other antifreeze agents in the face of extremely low temperatures to prevent the liquid 114 from freeze. Additionally, for example, the liquid 114 within the outer tank 104 may be treated with a biocide and/or other chemical or biological agent to prevent the growth of unwanted organisms.

It should be understood that, for example, the two outer tanks 104a and 104b housing the two units 101a and 101b may be of different shapes and sizes, may be made of different materials, and may hold different liquids. The two outer tanks 104a and 104b may, or may not, be in fluid communication with each other.

The outer tank 104 has at least two cylindrical ring walls extending generally perpendicularly from its bottom 116 — an outer ring wall 120 and an inner ring wall 122 . The outer ring wall 120 and the inner ring wall 122 extend generally perpendicular from the bottom 116 of the outer tank 104 and are generally parallel to each other. As used herein, the term "substantially" is intended to include some slight deviations, such as, for example, due to manufacturing tolerances, wear, stress bending, and combinations thereof.

The outer ring wall 120 extends from the bottom 116 to a first height and the inner ring wall 122 extends from the bottom 116 to a second height. The first height is lower than the height of the outer tank 104 so that the liquid 114 is free to move across the top of the outer annular wall 120 . The second height may be lower than the first height and lower than the height of the outer tank 104 so that the liquid 114 flows freely over the top of the inner annular wall 122 . In some exemplary embodiments, the first height of the outer ring wall 120 and the second height of the inner ring wall 122 may be equal or substantially equal to each other, while in other embodiments, the second height may be higher than the first height . The outer annular wall 120 and the inner annular wall 122 are separated by a distance, such as a distance of about 1 inch, and cooperate with the tank wall 118 to define two generally cylindrical concentric annular spaces-between the outer annular wall 120 and the tank wall 118. Between the first annular space 124, and the second annular space 126 between the outer ring wall 120 and the inner ring wall 122. The inner annular wall 122 further cooperates with the bottom 116 to define a cylindrical space 128 within the inner annular wall 122 . However, it should be understood that the outer annular wall 120 and inner annular wall 122 may be spaced apart by a distance greater than or less than 1 inch, and may define any other suitable concentric shape, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art in light of the teachings of the present invention. of.

The outer box 104 is provided with an air duct 130 extending generally vertically through the center of the bottom 116 of the outer box 104 . Air conduit 130 is generally cylindrical in shape and includes a valve 132 , or other means to selectively close and open air conduit 130 to allow passage of air and/or liquid 114 through air conduit 130 . The air duct 130 extends generally parallel to the inner ring wall 122 and is arranged within the cylindrical space 128 defined by the inner ring wall 122 . The air ducts 130 extend to at least the same height as the inner annular wall 122 , although it is understood that the air ducts 130 may extend to different heights; The valve 132 may be any conventional valve 132 such as, for example, a ball valve, a one-way valve, a manual valve, and combinations thereof. The air conduit may further include an access valve 148 which may be used to evacuate or inject air into the air conduit 130 .

Outer annular wall 120 , inner annular wall 122 , and air duct 130 may be fabricated from any suitable material, and may be fabricated from the same material as outer tank 104 . Outer ring wall 120, inner ring wall 122, and air duct 130 may be connected to bottom 116 of outer tank 104 by any suitable method, such as welding, screwing, riveting, or gluing, and combinations thereof, for example. Additionally, the outer ring wall 120, the inner ring wall 122, the air duct 130, and the outer box 104 may be integrally formed by methods known in the art. It should be understood that any number of ring walls and air ducts of variable height may be used in accordance with the inventive concepts disclosed herein, such as, for example, one, three, four, five, six or more.

Referring now to FIGS. 4A-5C , the compartment 106 is generally cylindrical in shape with a closed top end 134, a closed bottom end 136, and a cylindrical wall 138 extending at least partially to the end of the closed bottom end 136. below to define a generally cylindrical displacement chamber 140 . The closed top end 134, closed bottom end 136, and generally cylindrical wall 138 of the compartment 106 cooperate to define an enclosed cavity 142, which is filled with gas and is sealed and pressurized to prevent the closed cavity 142 from Collapses due to the external pressure of the liquid 114 . Enclosed cavity 142 defines a cylindrical recess 146 adapted to receive air duct 130 therein, as described hereinafter.

The compartment 106 is adapted to be disposed within a cylindrical space 128 defined by the inner annular wall 122 . The compartment 106 is adapted to be lowered or submerged into the outer tank 104 such that the compartment 106 is at least partially disposed within a cylindrical space 128 defined by the inner annular wall 122 and at an angle relative to the inner annular wall 122 and the outer tank 104. A substantially vertical direction is movable. The wall 138 is separated from the inner annular wall 122 by a first annular gap 139 . The closed top end 134 may optionally have a cushioning pad 135 (FIG. 14) which acts to cushion shock and distribute pressure when the divider 106 comes into contact with the inner riser 108 as described hereinafter. The cushion 135 may be attached to the compartment 106, or may be unattached, as desired.

The size of the divider 106 can vary depending on the output requirements of the device 100 . The volume or air injected into the compartments 106 and the structural integrity of the compartments 106 are matched to safety parameters related to the pressure of each device 100 . The compartment 106 is internally pressurized to counteract the possibility of implosion, such as, for example, by injecting pressurized fluid into the closed cavity 142 via the valve 144 . A volume of pressurized gas can be sealed into the enclosed chamber 142 by a cap (not shown) welded on top of the compartment 106 , and a sealing cap on the bottom but above the walls of the displacement chamber 140 . The length of the displacement chamber 140 varies according to the planned duty cycle of the pod 106 . The length of the displacement chamber 140 is directly related to volume and stroke length.

The pod 106 may be fabricated from any suitable material having the desired structural strength and weight, such as, for example, stainless steel, polycarbonate, plastic, fiberglass, epoxy, and aluminum.

The role 106 of the pod is to: (a) provide lift; (b) follow the inner riser 108 on its upstroke; (c) fill the upper air gap between the pod 106 and the inner riser 108; (d) Supports pre-fill functionality; (e) maintains pre-fill during the stroke of the device; (f) eliminates the need for additional interstitial air during cycling; (g) acts as an open chamber where compressed air can displace liquid 114; (h) acts as a chamber in which the compressed liquid 114 can displace air; (i) the specific dimensions of the divider 106 determine the stroke length and configuration of the inner riser 108. The most notable function of the divider rob 106 is to increase the lifting force and maintain the annular wall clearance and annular wall head within the unit 101 .

It should be understood that the displacement chamber 140 may alternatively be positioned outside the unit 101, or even below the unit 101, or alternatively, two displacement chambers may be used as long as the liquid level of the liquid 114 in the outer tank 104b It is the same height as the liquid level of the liquid 114 in the external tank 104a. Alternatively, the displacement chamber 140 may be installed independently of the divider 106 and may be attached to or (with a floor level opening) welded to an inner floor (not shown) next to the outer box 104, or below the outer box 104. . Both of these arrangements may work with device 100 constructed in accordance with the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

A displacement chamber 140 connected to the base plate can be used in a two-stage plant 100 (with two units 101), and both arrangements can be used simultaneously in a four-stage plant 100 to cycle each unit 101 in two stages and make the travel Double the length. The cost of the trip with the displacement chamber 140 connected to the divider chamber 106 is about three feet of differential pressure loss. The cost of travel with the displacement chamber 140 connected to the base plate is about half that, or about one and one-half feet of differential pressure. Input costs can be further reduced by having a wider, shorter displacement chamber 140 below the outer tank 104 (which can reduce differential pressure losses as an operating cost).

The closed cavity 142 of the dividing chamber defines a cylindrical recess 146 therein into which the air duct 130 is at least partially disposed. The air duct 130 acts as the main inlet to the displacement chamber 140 and functions to fill and drain air from the displacement chamber 140 without allowing the liquid 114 to enter the air duct 130 . The air duct 130 may be sized so that it is shorter than the height of the pod 106 so that when the pod 106 is fully lowered or submerged into the outer tank 104, the top of the air duct 130 and the top of the cylindrical recess 146 A small gap is allowed between them. The air duct 130 may further be dimensioned such that it fits inside the cylindrical recess 146 of the closed cavity 142 without contacting the divider 106 . It should be appreciated that, for example, in some embodiments, the air duct 130 may be in contact with the pod 106 such that the pod 106 may abut against the air duct 130 . An air conduit 130 is fluidly connected to the differential air mass exchanger 102 and has a main shut-off valve 132 and an access valve 148 ( FIG. 14 ) for injecting compressed air during pre-filling of the device 100 as described below.

Referring now to FIG. 6 , the inner riser 108 is generally cylindrical in shape and has an open lower end 150 , a closed upper end 152 , a cylindrical wall 154 , and defines a cylindrical space 156 . The closed upper end 152 of the inner riser 108 may hereinafter be referred to simply as the riser surface area. The inner riser 108 is first inserted into the outer tank 104 with its open lower end 150 and its cylindrical wall 154 is dimensioned to fit in the second annular space 126 between the inner ring wall 122 and the outer ring wall 120 , such that annular gap 158 separates inner riser 108 from outer ring wall 120 and annular gap 160 separates inner ring wall 122 from inner riser 108 . Annular gap 158 and annular gap 160 may be at least partially filled with liquid 114 and/or air. The inner riser 108 is generally parallel to the inner ring wall 122 and the outer ring wall 120, but does not contact the outer ring wall 120 and the inner ring wall 122, except when the inner riser 108 is completely submerged inside the outer tank 104, the inner riser The tube 108 may set or abut against the top of the inner annular wall 122 . The inner riser 108 is disposed within the outer tank 104 such that the closed upper end 152 is in contact with the top 134 of the compartment 106 .

The inner riser 108 is generally hollow and is at least partially filled with a liquid 114 and/or air. The inner riser 108 may be in gaseous and/or liquid communication with the outer riser 110 through, for example, at least one vent 162, or by any other suitable method known in the art. The inner riser 108 houses the pod 106 .

The inner riser 108 may be fabricated from any suitable material having the desired structural strength and weight, such as, for example, stainless steel, polycarbonate, plastic, fiberglass, epoxy, and aluminum. The inner riser 108 is movable in a generally vertical direction relative to the outer ring wall 120 , the inner ring wall 122 and the outer tank 104 . The plurality of annular columns of liquid 114 separating the inner riser 108 from the outer annular wall 120 and inner annular wall 122 collectively apply a force to the inner riser 108 to stabilize its generally vertical motion. Each side of the outer ring wall 120, the inner ring wall 122, and the inner riser 108 is pressurized by air or liquid 114 next to it, the inner pressure is kept slightly higher than the outer pressure, and the materials have ideally been designed to withstand Bend, crush, and burst.

The role of the internal riser 108 is to (a) provide lift; (b) act as a head extender or multiplier; (c) act as a head eliminator; (d) convert pressure differential into lift; (e ) work with the compartment 106 and the outer and inner ring walls 120 and 122 to double the differential exchange; (f) the sinking unit 101; (g) the floating unit 101.

Referring now to FIGS. 7-8B , an exemplary embodiment of an outer riser 110 is shown as having a generally cylindrical shape. The outer riser 110 has a cylindrical wall 170 , an open lower end 172 , a closed upper end 174 , and defines a lower cylindrical space 176 .

The closed upper end 174 of the outer riser 110 has a top surface 178 and a bottom surface 180 . Wall 170 extends partially over closed upper end 174 to define ram extender 182 .

The outer riser 110 is first inserted into the outer tank 104 with its open lower end 172 and is dimensioned such that the wall 170 of the outer riser 110 is partially disposed in the first annular space between the outer ring wall 120 and the tank wall 118 124 in. Open lower end 172 has a diameter larger than that of outer ring wall 120, but smaller than that of outer tank 104, such that when outer riser 110 is inserted into outer tank 104, annular gap 184 separates outer ring wall 120 from the outer riser. The walls 170 of 110 are separated. Annular gap 184 may be at least partially filled with liquid 114 and/or air. At the same time, the annular gap 186 separates the wall 170 from the tank wall 118 . Annular gap 186 may be at least partially filled with liquid 114 and/or air.

To submerge the outer riser 110 in the outer tank 104, an exhaust port 188 is used to vent air from within the closed upper end 174 of the outer riser 110 to atmosphere. This vent 188 is temporarily opened initially and remains closed during operation of the device 100 . The wall 170 of the outer riser 110 is positioned parallel to the outer ring wall 120 when the outer riser 110 is inserted into the outer tank 104 .

When the outer riser 110 is fully submerged in the outer tank 104, the wall 170 of the outer riser 110 extends above the surface of the liquid 114 in the outer tank 104 to keep the head extender 182 substantially out of the liquid 114 and to A ram extending around the outer riser 110 .

The bottom surface 180 of the lower cylindrical space 176 rests (or rests) on top of the outer annular wall 120 when the outer riser 110 is fully submerged within the outer tank 104 . A lower cylindrical space 176 surrounds the outer annular wall 120 and the inner annular wall 122 and houses the compartment 106 and the inner riser 108 when the outer riser 110 is inserted into the outer tank 104 . The lower cylindrical space 176 is at least partially filled with liquid 114 and/or air. Lower cylindrical space 176 is in gaseous and/or liquid communication with head extender 182 through, for example, vent 188, or by any other suitable means known in the art.

The outer riser 110 may be fabricated from any suitable material having the required structural strength and weight, such as, for example, stainless steel, polycarbonate, plastic, fiberglass, epoxy, and aluminum. The outer riser 110 is movable in a generally vertical direction relative to the outer tank 104 and the outer ring wall 120 . The liquid 114 partially filling the annular gap 184 located between the outer riser 110 and the outer annular wall 120, and the annular liquid column within the annular gap 186 separating the outer riser 110 and the tank wall 118, collectively apply the force on the outer riser 110 to keep it moving substantially vertically. For simplicity, these processes are hereinafter referred to as "hydraulic-pneumatic dynamic centering" or "dynamic centering". Additionally, the movement of the outer riser 110 may be substantially maintained by wear guides (not shown) mounted on the outer and inner annular walls 120, 122 and wall 170 defining the lower cylindrical space 176 of the outer riser 110. vertical. Further, in some exemplary embodiments, one or more weights may be placed on, or otherwise connected to, the outer riser 110 to assist in submerging the unit 101 .

Referring now to FIGS. 9A-10C , an exemplary embodiment in which an outer riser 110a is shown is shown. The outer riser 110a includes a lower portion 190 to which is attached a cylindrical ram extender 192 . The lower portion 190 is generally cylindrical in shape and has a cylindrical wall 194 , an open lower end 196 , a concave closed upper end 198 , and defines a lower cylindrical space 200 . The outer riser 110a is first inserted into the outer tank 104 with its open lower end 196 and is dimensioned such that the outer riser 110 is partially disposed in the first annular space 124 between the outer ring wall 120 and the tank wall 118 . Open lower end 196 has a larger diameter than outer annular wall 120 such that when outer riser 110a is inserted into outer tank 104 , an annular gap separates outer annular wall 120 from wall 194 . The annular gap may be at least partially filled with liquid 114 and/or air. At the same time, the diameter of the open lower end 196 is smaller than the diameter of the outer tank 104 such that an annular gap separates the tank wall 118 of the outer tank 104 from the wall 194 of the outer riser 110a. To flood the outer riser 110a, a vent 202 is used to vent air from within the closed upper end 198 to atmosphere. This exhaust port 202 is temporarily opened at the initial stage and remains closed during operation of the device 100 . Wall 194 is positioned parallel to outer ring wall 120 when outer riser 110a is inserted into outer tank 104 . The closed upper end 198 has a top surface 204 and a bottom surface 206 .

The head extender 192 includes a wall 208 that extends above the surface of the liquid 114 in the outer tank 104 when the outer riser 110a is inserted into the outer tank 104 to keep the head extender substantially out of the liquid, and to extend the head around the outer riser 110 . The ram extender 192 may be connected to the lower portion 190 in any suitable manner, such as, for example, by utilizing flanges (not shown), welds, seams, joints, bolts, adhesives, and combinations thereof.

The bottom surface 206 of the lower cylindrical dog space 200 may rest on (or rest on) the top of the outer annular wall 120 when the outer riser 110a is fully submerged within the outer tank 104 . The lower cylindrical space 200 surrounds the outer annular wall 120 and the inner annular wall 122 and houses the compartment 106 and the inner riser 108 when the outer riser 110a is inserted into the outer tank 104 . The lower cylindrical space 200 is at least partially filled with liquid 114 and/or air. The lower cylindrical space 200 is in gaseous and/or liquid communication with the head extender 192 through, for example, an exhaust port 202, or by any other suitable means known in the art.

For example, outer riser 110a may be implemented similarly to outer riser 110 . The outer riser 110a is movable in a generally vertical direction relative to the outer tank 104 and the outer ring wall 120 . The liquid 114 partially filling the first annular space 124 located between the outer riser 110a and the outer annular wall 120, and the annular liquid column separating the outer riser 110a from the tank wall 118 collectively exert a force on the outer riser 110a up to keep it moving roughly vertically.

Referring now to FIG. 11 , hydraulic capture system 112 includes hydraulic capture cylinder 210 , hydraulic accumulator 212 in fluid communication with hydraulic capture cylinder 210 , and shutoff valve 214 .

A hydraulic capture cylinder 210 is connected to, or is connected to, the outer riser 110 and is in fluid communication with a hydraulic accumulator 212 . When the lift pressure of machine 100 exceeds the minimum pressure set at hydraulic accumulator 212 , hydraulic capture cylinder 210 moves outer riser 110 of machine 100 and pumps pressurized hydraulic fluid into hydraulic accumulator 212 . When the minimum pressure is exceeded, hydraulic fluid is stored under pressure in the hydraulic accumulator 212 until it is consumed, as described below.

Shut-off valve 214 may be operated to lock, or prevent movement of, hydraulic capture cylinder 210 , thereby also preventing movement of outer riser 110 during the pre-fill phase of unit 101 setup.

An optional hydraulic motor of a hydraulic generator (not shown) may be fluidly connected to hydraulic accumulator 212 and may generate mechanical or electrical energy by utilizing pressurized hydraulic fluid from hydraulic accumulator 212 .

Referring now to FIG. 12 , a differential air mass exchanger 102 according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein includes one or more cylinders 216 in fluid communication with air conduit 130 , a hydraulic assist 218 in fluid communication with hydraulic accumulator 212 .

The differential air mass exchanger 102 may have one or more cylinders 216 arranged in such a way as to separate equal volumes of air and allow pressure to exist on both sides of the cylinders 216 . Cylinder 216 is fluidly connected to compartment 106 by air duct 130 and is movable between a first position and a second position to displace a quantity of air from displacement chamber 140 by forcing a quantity of air through air duct 130 from displacement chamber 140. A volume of liquid 114 is transferred. The cylinder 216 is further connected to the actuator rod 220 such that when the cylinder 216 is moved between the first position and the second position, the actuator rod 220 moves with it.

For example, hydraulic assist 218 may be implemented as a hydraulic piston, or in any other suitable manner. Hydraulic assist 218 is in fluid communication with hydraulic accumulator 212 and, as described below, is sized to provide sufficient energy to differential air mass exchanger 102 . Hydraulic assist 218 is connected to actuator rod 220 and is capable of selectively applying force to actuator rod 220 such that hydraulic assist 218 can assist cylinder 216 to move between a first position and a second position . The force used by hydraulic assist 218 is provided by pressurized hydraulic fluid received by hydraulic accumulator 212 . Hydraulic assist 218 moves actuator rod 220 , which in turn facilitates the action of differential air mass exchanger 102 .

Referring now to FIG. 13, an embodiment of a differential air mass exchanger 102a is shown. The differential air mass exchanger 102a can be implemented similarly to the gas mass exchanger 102 and includes one or more cylinders 216a in fluid communication with the air conduit 130, a hydraulic assist 218a in fluid communication with a hydraulic accumulator 212, actuating The rod 220a and the counterweight 222.

The differential air mass exchanger 102a may have one or more cylinders 216 arranged in such a way as to separate equal volumes of air and allow pressure to exist on either side of the cylinders 216a. Cylinder 216a is fluidly connected to compartment 106 by air duct 130, and is movable between a first position and a second position to pass through air duct 130 in a certain amount of air in displacement chamber 140 to displace it from displacement chamber 140. A volume of liquid 114 is transferred. The cylinder 216a is further connected to the actuator rod 220a such that when the cylinder 216a is moved between the first position and the second position, the actuator rod 220a moves with it.

Hydraulic assist 218a may be implemented as a hydraulic piston, or in any other suitable manner. Hydraulic assist 218a is in fluid communication with hydraulic accumulator 212 and, as described below, is sized to provide sufficient energy to differential air mass exchanger 102a. Hydraulic assist 218a is connected to actuator rod 220a and is capable of selectively applying force to actuator rod 220a such that hydraulic assist 218a can assist cylinder 216a to move between a first position and a second position . The force used by hydraulic assist 218 a is provided by pressurized hydraulic fluid received by hydraulic accumulator 212 . The hydraulic assist 218a moves the actuator rod 220a, which in turn facilitates the action of the differential air mass exchanger 102a. The actuator rod 220a has a counterweight 222 attached thereto which is used to adjust the exchange and to assist the exchange after reaching the midpoint between the first and second positions of the cylinder 216a.

The initial energy from the drop unit 101 is greater than demand at the beginning of the exchange, equalized at the midpoint, and drops until this differential pressure is reached. The counterweight 222 makes it possible to capture the initial excess energy and then utilize the counterweight 222 to assist the differential air mass exchanger 102 during the energy drop. By using pressurized hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic accumulator 212, the hydraulic assist 218a is used to compensate for differential pressure losses. When additional work is added to one side of the differential air mass exchanger 102, the differential air mass exchanger 102a can be connected to at least two units 101a and 101b; the cylinders 216 move in opposite directions. Additional work can be provided directly or mechanically. The differential air mass exchanger 102 is used to control the speed of pre-fill and the cycle/stroke of the device 100 .

Through the use of flow control to hydraulic assist 218, for example, such as hydraulic shut-off valve 214 (FIG. 11) or other valves, such as check valves, or flow control valves, and combinations thereof, the differential air mass exchanger The movement of 102 is regulated. This makes it possible to adjust the air exchange rate between the unit 101a and the unit 101b. The rate of exchange is measured in response to the sustained lift force of the outer riser 10 associated with the production of hydraulic fluid at a given pressure.

The movement or operation of the unit 101 of the apparatus 100 is regulated by hydraulic input requirements. The rate at which this hydraulic input is obtained and maintained is controlled by controlling the flow to the differential air mass exchanger 102 . The differential air mass exchanger 102 operates using three forces - exhaust air from the lowering unit 101 applied to the cylinder 216 , the action of the counterweight 222 , and the force applied to the actuator rod 220 by the hydraulic assist 218 . Exhaust air from unit 101a is under pressure and it is directed to differential air mass exchanger 102 which in turn helps to overcome the pressure requirements of displacement chamber 140 of unit 101b.

The locking mechanism for the differential air mass exchanger 102 is the shut-off valve 224 of the cylinder 216 . To eliminate the possibility of differential air mass exchanger 102 shifting, air is exhausted from cylinder 216 of differential air mass exchanger 102 to atmosphere. After exhausting air from the cylinders 216 of the differential air mass exchanger 102, a full reset/setup of the device 100 will be required.

The assembly, immersion and pre-filling apparatus 100 process flow will be explained with reference to a single unit 101 only. It should be understood that the same process flow is repeated for unit 101 a and unit 101 b of apparatus 100 . The configuration of the differential air mass exchanger 102 will be described in detail below.

Referring now to FIGS. 14-17 , unit 101 is assembled by first filling outer tank 104 with liquid 114 such that the level of liquid 114 is higher than outer annular wall 120 , inner annular wall 122 , first annular space 124 , second annular space 126 , And the height of the cylindrical space 128. The first annular space 124 , the second annular space 126 , and the cylindrical space 128 are substantially completely filled with the liquid 114 . The amount of liquid 114 used will vary with the size of the device 100 and external tank 104 . When two external tanks 104a and 104b are used, both should be filled with liquid 114 as described, and the differential air mass exchanger 102 should be fluidly connected to the air ducts 130 of both external tanks 104a and 104b.

Next, the pod 106 is submerged within the cylindrical space 128 defined by the inner annular wall 122 . Any air retained in the displacement chamber 140 is exhausted by selectively opening the access valve 148 of the air conduit 130 to remove the positive buoyancy of the pod 106 and allow the pod 106 to be completely submerged such that the displacement chamber of the pod 106 140 abuts against the bottom 116 of the outer case 104 . Sufficient air is expelled from the displacement chamber 140 to allow the pod 106 to balance buoyancy, at least at this stage.

Once the pod 106 is completely submerged, the inner riser 108 is first inserted with its open lower end into the outer tank 104 . The inner riser 108 is submerged such that it is partially disposed in a second annular space 126 defined between the inner annular wall 122 and the outer annular wall 120 . The inner riser 108 is lowered into the outer tank 104 until the inner riser 108 abuts the top of the inner annular wall 122 as described above. For example, any air trapped within the inner riser 108 may be vented by temporarily opening the exhaust port 162 . Vent 162 is closed once inner riser 108 is fully submerged and remains closed throughout operation of apparatus 100 .

Next, the outer riser 110 is first submerged with its open lower end 196 within the outer tank 104 such that the outer riser 110 is partially disposed in the first annular space 124 between the outer ring wall 120 and the tank wall 118 . Any air trapped within the outer riser 110 is exhausted through the exhaust port 188 . The outer riser 110 is lowered into the outer tank 104 until it abuts against the top of the outer ring wall 120 . Once the outer riser 110 is fully submerged, the vent 188 is closed and remains closed throughout operation of the apparatus 100.

The level of liquid 114 within the outer tank 104 can be adjusted at this point to ensure that the head extender 182 of the outer riser 110 remains substantially out of the liquid. It should be understood that pre-filling of the device 100 will cause the level of the liquid 114 within the outer tank 104 to rise, so sufficient clearance between the level of the liquid 114 and the top of the head extender 182 should be maintained.

In the initial stage shown in Figure 14, the unit 101 is fully submerged and is at least balanced buoyancy, but could also be negatively buoyant. The compartment 106, the inner riser 108, the outer riser 110, the outer annular wall 120, the inner annular wall 122, and the outer tank 104 define a series of interconnected compartments that, as described hereinafter, generally form a helical-shaped flow road. The individual compartments defined by a portion of the device 100 are substantially filled with liquid 114 at this stage, however it should be understood that an amount of air may be present in at least one, more than one or all of the individual compartments. It should be further appreciated that some air is generally present within the cylindrical recess 146 of the closed cavity 142 to ensure that no liquid 114 enters the air duct 130 and/or the differential air mass exchanger 102 .

Cell 101 is now ready to be pre-populated. During pre-fill, the unit 101 is prevented from moving upwards by operating the hydraulic system shut-off valve 214 as described above.

At this stage, compressed air, or other suitable gas, is injected into the displacement chamber 140 through the access valve 148 . For example, compressed air may be supplied from an air compressor (not shown). Valve 132 may be closed at this stage to prevent compressed air from reaching differential air mass exchanger 102 . At this point, the pod 106 begins to lift and begins to bridge the gap between the top of the pod 106 and the inner riser 108 , best shown in FIG. 15 . As air pressure builds up within the displacement chamber 140 , a volume of liquid 114 is pushed out of the displacement chamber 140 . This in turn forces the liquid 114 upwards into the first annular gap 139 separating the compartment 106 and the inner annular wall 122 , the liquid 114 is further forced by flowing downward through the annular gap 160 separating the inner riser 108 and the inner annular wall 122 Moving through successive compartments, up through the annular gap 158 separating the inner riser 108 from the outer ring wall 120, down again through the annular gap 184 separating the outer ring wall 120 from the outer riser 110, and finally up through the An annular gap 186 separating the outer riser 110 and the tank wall 118 passes through. This causes the level of liquid 114 within the outer tank 104 to gradually rise, so this level should be monitored to ensure that the head extender 182 remains substantially out of the liquid.

Air is injected continuously throughout the prefill process. As best shown in FIGS. 16-18, when the displacement chamber 140 is completely or nearly completely filled with air and substantially all of the liquid 114 inside has been forced out, due to the buoyancy of the air within the liquid 114, the air bubbles The upward ascent begins into the annular gap 160 separating the pod 106 and the inner riser 108 . Bubbles are trapped at the open lower end 150 of the inner riser 108 . This causes liquid 114 to be pushed out of the open lower end 150 of the inner riser 108 . The liquid 114 is forced to move downward through the annular gap 158 separating the inner ring wall 122 from the inner riser 108 due to the pressure in the displacement chamber 140 and in the annular gap 160 separating the inner riser 108 from the inner ring wall 122 The pressure at is higher than the pressure in the annular gap 158 separating the inner annular wall 122 and the inner riser 108 . Liquid 114 similarly flows through the remaining compartments and is eventually forced into the outer tank 104 .

Liquid 114 is gradually pushed out of inner riser 108 when annular gap 160 separating inner annular wall 122 and inner riser 108 is substantially filled with compressed air. Once the column of compressed air reaches the end of the wall 154 of the inner riser 108 , bubbles begin to rise upward through the annular gap 158 separating the inner riser 108 and the outer annular wall 120 . Air bubbles are trapped within the open lower end 172 of the outer riser 110 . The establishment of air pressure forces liquid 114 to flow out of the outer riser 110, the liquid 114 moves down through the annular gap separating the outer riser 110 and the outer annular wall 120, and then up through the annular gap separating the outer riser 110 and the tank wall 118 Gap 186. This process continues until substantially all of the liquid 114 is forced out of the annular gap 184 separating the outer annular wall 120 and the outer riser 110 .

Once the column of compressed air reaches the end of the wall 170 at the open lower end 172, bubbles begin to rise up the sides of the outer riser 110 and into the outer tank 104. The device 100 is now pre-filled and ready to begin its upstroke. Air injection terminated. Opening the hydraulic shut-off valve 214 and allowing the unit 101 to move upward is all that is needed to initiate and maintain the upward stroke.

The fill displacement chamber 140 displaces a volume of liquid 114 - which in turn systematically displaces a separate volume of air and a separate The liquid 114 is dosed to simultaneously create a "head" on one side and unequal pressure (translated into lift force) on the surfaces of the inner riser 108 and outer riser 110 .

The pre-filling process results in configurations between the separation compartment 106 and the inner ring wall 122, the inner ring wall 122 and the inner riser 108, the inner riser 108 and the outer ring wall 120, the outer ring wall 120 and the outer riser 110, and the outer riser Alternation of air and liquid columns (or pressure heads) in the annular gap between 110 and tank wall 118. This acts to create alternating positive and negative buoyancy. The combination of outer annular wall 120, inner annular wall 122, inner riser 108, and outer riser 110 can stack to accumulate initial pressure differentials across multiple surfaces, resulting in greater lift without increasing input costs. Due to the pressure head, the beneficial force per unit surface area remains constant as the pressure increases as the number of layers increases. As in a 12 ft. liquid column (or head), would result in 5.2 lbs x the surface of the inner riser 108 or outer riser 110, and the additional layer would increase the inner head to 10.4, but the force dissipated in the inner would still be 5.2 lbs times the inner surface, as the next layer will have a 5.2 lbs opposing force, and then the second riser will benefit from this 5.2 lbs force, which translates to multiple lift forces. It should be understood that the pod/annulus/riser combination is designed to control two or more separate head pressures which exist to act on the inner surface and generate lift. As measured from the outer riser 110 towards the inner riser 108, each head pressure is added to the next, and thus the air trapped between successive liquid columns is at a greater pressure than the previous one, trapped in the liquid Each volume of air between the columns has a pressure directly related to the pressure build-up of the preceding liquid column.

The pressure in each air column is combined with the pressure of the preceding liquid and air columns. This pressure increase is directly related to the aforementioned liquid column pressure plus the aforementioned gas column pressure.

For example, with a liquid column height of 12 feet, or 5.2 psi, the pressure will net a 5.2 psi differential from one side to the other (with greater pressure). One side could have 10.4 psi and the inside would have 15.6, resulting in a pressure of 5.2 psi. This continues throughout the unit 101, increasing with each increase in pressure head. The pressure is balanced at all points and helps to force the ring wall and riser away from each other because the ring wall is stronger than the applied force which acts to dynamically self-center the riser. The design of device 100 captures potential energy between unequal pressures. Thus, a riser with a downward thrust of 15 psi on it would have an upward thrust of 20 psi, resulting in a surface force of 5 psi ( psi) upward force.

When the length of the liquid column is designed to be consistent, the differential pressure will remain exactly consistent and predictable. Because this converted liquid column pressure is greater than the pressure on the opposite or top side of the inner riser 108, a measurable and predictable lift force is produced.

As the risers are stacked, the size and surface area of the riser increases, which increases the overall surface area affected by the pressure differential. The volume of air on the sides of the compartment 106 is sized to be sufficient to fill the annular gap 160 between the inner ring wall 122 and the inner riser 108, but as the liquid level increases and the pressure increases, an additional volume can pass through such that Each successive ring wall is about two inches taller than the previous one to compensate. This will act to compensate for interstitial air requirements and allow for a greater drop in liquid column during immersion operations. This requirement is directly related to the increased number of risers and ring walls - a larger unit 101 with fewer layers is more efficient than a smaller unit 101 with more layers.

The combination of the compartment 106, the outer annular wall 120 and the inner annular wall 122, and the inner riser 108 and the outer riser 110 are designed to be naturally submerged, i.e., have at least neutral or slightly negative buoyancy, unless and until the displacement chamber 140 Start receiving air. Essentially, the sinking unit 101 does not need to do anything. The only work required is to bring unit 101 up. The lift force achieved from the compartment 106 is proportional to the multiple forces on the surfaces of the inner riser 108 and outer riser 110 . Due to the relative position to the liquid 114, the design essentially allows reversibility of operation at the expense of pre-filling and subsequent back-filling. When a predetermined lift is reached, the air and liquid 114 in the system move back through the differential air mass exchanger 102 and form a fort as long as the pod 106 and inner riser 108 are allowed to rise.

For the sake of clarity of the foregoing description, the expansion of air that occurs in the riser has not been considered. In effect, the continuity of the liquid column height will be reduced at a cascading rate - one inch per stroke for the first head closest to compartment 106 - two inches per stroke for the second head , for a fourth head loss of three inches. The natural expansion of air of approximately 12% of the volume of each air gap greatly reduces this cascading loss. The displacement chamber 140 is calculated to displace the liquid 114 at a stroke ratio of 14 inches to 1 inch; every inch of air forced into the displacement chamber 140, regardless of pressure differential, will result in a head of 14 inches. In fact, the initial pre-fill is used to compress the interstitial air, which in turn expands during lifting. The differential pressure (lift pressure) is only affected by the total realized head loss. Air expansion only affects lift at the point where head is actually lost. As successive ring walls and risers are added, the air required to fill the ring walls and risers will increase due to the increased diameter. This can be compensated by successively reducing the gap to keep the volumetric pressures equal.

The reduction of the gap can go to infinity, but there are effectively applied ratios to meet the size requirements. It is not possible to add ring walls and risers infinitely, so it is more efficient to initially size the compartment 106, displacement chamber 140, outer ring wall 120, inner ring wall 122, and inner riser 108 and outer riser 110 way.

During the descent of unit 101, the air within unit 101 remains pressurized. The input work performed is to generate the liquid column height difference; the trapped work is a side effect of the initial input work. Apparatus 100 is designed to inexpensively generate liquid column height differences and operates at atmospheric pressure. The work of capturing lift by the surface area of the inner riser 108 and outer riser 110 is secondary and essentially free.

Running the process in reverse keeps the exhaust unit 101 pressure nearly the same as the input pressure - this is why the exhaust pressure can be used to assist the differential air mass exchanger 102 action. Imported work can now be output at nearly the same rate as it was input. By creating a larger differential pressure, stroke length reduces the input power; this loss is what must be overcome to achieve the cycle. The unique utilization of such a side effect is to allow the apparatus 100 disclosed herein to simultaneously utilize the exhaust to facilitate the operation of the differential air mass exchanger 102, and to control the movement of the outer riser 110, inner riser 108, and compartment 106. Decent operation.

If the unit 101 is lifted above the surface of the liquid 114, held in place, and then the displacement chamber 140 is emptied - the result is like a reverse differential; nearly equal downward force will be achieved, the effective force being as if full of liquid The entire unit 101 is lifted out of the liquid 114 at 114 . It will be as heavy as the lifting force. The device 100 is operated "normally" with this force to keep the air under pressure for displacement.

Note that the layout of the liquid 114 and the air found during the setup procedure are described for clarification only, and will not be realized during the cycle of the device 100 (unless the hydraulic shut-off valve 214 is closed). In normal operation, the unit 101 will begin to lift once a minimum liquid height differential is achieved to overcome the resistance due to the hydraulic capture cylinder 210 pressure requirements. The apparatus 100 operates at the same increments of displacement as the liquid column height difference. This difference in liquid height is interpreted as pressure, and this pressure acts on the surface area of the compartment 106 and the inner riser 108 and outer riser 110 to generate lift. The prefill initially raises the liquid level between each of the outer and inner ring walls 120, 122 and the inner and outer risers 108, 110, respectively, until the resulting difference in liquid column height causes the required lift force to exceed the hydraulic capture Cylinder 210 resistance.

As the outer riser 110 begins to move, additional air is input from the differential air mass exchanger 102 into the displacement chamber 140, maintaining the liquid column height difference and lift force. The outer riser 110 cannot move faster than the maintained liquid column height differential. The displacement of the unit 101 is calculated such that a minimum lifting force needs to be maintained until the end of the stroke. As the outer riser 110 moves away from the bottom 116 of the outer tank 104, or the base plate of the inner ring wall 122, the space once occupied by air (which is the cause of the liquid column pressure) will be forced out of the inner ring wall 122 by the The liquid 114 is backfilled.

The pod 106 is allowed to lift at the same rate as air is injected; this action is controlled by setting the size of the hydraulic capture cylinder 210 (surface area) in relation to both the desired pressure and the upward force of capture. Full force for continued maintenance of stroke allows stroke cycling to create conditions where there is only a slight loss in lift force when ascent and input rates are matched. At the end of the stroke cycle when the device 100 reaches its fully extended position, this step is reversed and the compressed air that transferred the liquid 114 during the prefill and stroke is then used to assist the differential air mass exchanger 102 .

The hydraulic capture cylinder 210 cannot rise until the inlet pressure of the hydraulic accumulator 212 is exceeded. This creates automatic control of both speed and power. The operation of the compartment 106 is automatic - it reacts to the lift of the liquid 114 around it; it is neutrally affected by the pressure at the top of the outer tank 104 . Since the hydraulic capture system 112 is calculated to be set at the minimum available force during the stroke, once this minimum force is reached, lifting will occur; therefore, lifting of the unit 101 will occur before pre-filling is achieved.

When utilizing the two-unit device 100, the valve 132 on the air duct 130 of the first submerged unit 101a is initially closed until the unit 101a is fully submerged and pre-filled, and the second unit 101b is in its fully extended position. Next, the pre-closed valve 132 should be carefully opened to the differential air mass exchanger 102; pressure from within the compartment 106 will act on the differential air mass exchanger 102 to move the cylinder 216 towards the unit 101b. In such procedures, terminal warnings should be applied.

Once the second unit 101b is safely in place, the valve 132 near the outer tank 104b must be closed and the process that begins with pre-filling the second unit 101b must be repeated. Once both outer tanks 104a and 104b are properly and equally filled, the hydraulic control system on differential air mass exchanger 102 should be engaged to limit movement. Both valves 132 should be opened again and locked in this position.

Next, pressure from the fully extended unit 101b is introduced into the differential air mass exchanger 102 which acts to move the cylinders 216 within the differential air mass exchanger 102 towards the adjacent and full cylinders 216 . The air in the filled cylinder 216 is forced into the displacement chamber 140 of the raised system; at the same time, the differential air mass exchanger 102 is assisted by the hydraulic assist 218 . The hydraulic assist 218 receives pressure from the hydraulic accumulator 212 and presses an actuator rod 220 which works through the fulcrum to apply additional pressure to the cylinder 216 . The initial operation of hydraulic assist 218 is overbalanced force; once the midpoint is passed, both counterweight 222 and cylinder 216 work together.

The lift unit 101a simultaneously accepts air into the displacement chamber 140, which initially fills the liquid column until the lift force overcomes the set point, and then the generation of pressurized hydraulic fluid is maintained until the end of the stroke. Production of pressurized hydraulic fluid may be controlled by a one-way valve ahead of hydraulic accumulator 212 . When the differential air mass exchanger 102 reaches the end of its stroke, a mechanism changes the direction of the hydraulic assist 218 . The generation of pressurized hydraulic fluid is automatic and responds directly to the configuration of the differential air mass exchanger 102 . The system reverses continuously at the end of each stroke. The downstroke of one unit 101a directly corresponds to the upstroke of the other unit 101b. The cost associated with this system is the work performed by hydraulic assist 218 .

In an alternative embodiment, the outer riser 110 may optionally be connected to a 6 foot (extended length) hydraulic capture cylinder 210, which may be secured above the system, such as on a reinforcement truss. This does little to stabilize the outer riser 110, but can act as a guide. The risers may each have caps, those caps being spaced from each other by spacers, and the spacers holding the surfaces in place by the pressure of the liquid column. The center cone can be welded to the matching male cone on each successive riser cap; this allows the risers to separate as needed, but aligns them when mating/lifting occurs. The clearance acts to dissipate the volume of air within each riser and results in a reduction of the remaining liquid column, reducing its lifting force below the weight of its inner riser 108 . The outer riser 110 is connected to a hydraulic capture cylinder 210 ; its stroke is limited by the truss bearing brackets and the outer 120 and inner 122 annular walls. Structural integrity is designed to meet the needs of device 100 .

Air from the differential air mass exchanger 102 is continuously injected into the displacement chamber 140 until the calculated stroke is reached. Once equilibrium is reached (at the point where enough liquid column is created to exceed hydraulic resistance) - this is referred to as "pre-fill" - the device 100 is in tension between moving out of equilibrium and accepting additional input for further movement. The differential air mass exchanger 102 works first to create a liquid column, and then works with the pod 106 to maintain the liquid column needed for both travel and overcoming drag. This design benefits from the liquid column created by the movement of liquid 114 and the buoyancy force created by the same action. Injecting air to displace liquid 114 and moving liquid 114 - these two actions, although they sound the same, are used to generate lift. Once equilibrium is reached, no additional liquid column is created because cell 101 movement is directly related to the increase in liquid column height at that point. When ascending from that setting, the air increases to obtain a liquid column.

Due to the unique combination of compartment 106, inner riser 108, outer riser 110, and outer annular wall 120, inner annular wall 122, during the upstroke, compartment 106 occupies a gap so that a column of liquid can exist cheaply, and During the upstroke, the liquid column is maintained and lifted out of the liquid. When the end of stroke is reached on the upstroke, hydraulic assist 218 reverses to apply energy in the opposite direction, which allows compressed air within pod 106 to pass into differential air mass exchanger 102 . When a one inch thickness of air is expelled from displacement chamber 140, about 14 inches of liquid column will be lost if it is not now suspended in air; like an inverted cap being pulled from liquid - vacuum now pulls down each interior Each of the riser 108 and the outer riser 110 pulls down the surface of the pod 106 beyond the lifting force of the pod 106 .

The refill rate of the hydraulic assist 218 is the flow rate to match the velocity of the differential air mass exchanger 102 so as not to exceed the velocity of the pod 106 which would cause the liquid 114 below the pod 106 to be blown out of the inner annular wall 122 .

Referring now to Figure 19, there is shown an alternative embodiment of a unit 101c according to the present disclosure. Unit 101c may be implemented similarly or differently from unit 101 . Unit 101c includes an outer tank 230 connected to a differential mass exchanger 232 , a compartment 234 , an inner riser 236 , an outer riser 238 connected to a hydraulic capture member 240 . The outer tank 230 is at least partially filled with a liquid 242 .

The outer tank 230 can be implemented similarly to the outer tank 104 and includes an open top 244 , a closed bottom 246 , a tank wall 248 , an outer ring wall 250 , and an inner ring wall 252 .

Outer annular wall 250 and tank wall 248 define a first annular space 254 , outer annular wall 250 and inner annular wall 252 define a second annular space 256 , and inner annular wall 252 defines a cylindrical space 258 .

A liquid level indicator 260 extends through the bottom 246 and is in fluid communication with the first annular space 254 . Liquid level indicator 260 is fluidly connected to a transparent tube 262 that extends along the outside of tank wall 248 to provide a visual indication of, for example, the liquid level inside outer tank 230 .

Air nozzles 264 extend through bottom 246 and into second annular space 256 . For example, air nozzle 264 may be fluidly connected to an air compressor (not shown) such that compressed air may be injected into second annular space 256 as described below.

A liquid conduit 266 extends through the bottom 246 and into the cylindrical space 258 and is fluidly connected to the differential mass exchanger 232 so that, for example, a quantity of liquid 242 can be transferred from the outer tank 230 to the differential mass exchanger 232, And a quantity of liquid 242 may pass from the differential mass exchanger 232 into the outer tank 230 .

An air duct 268 extends through the base 246 into the cylindrical space 258, the air duct 268 being selectively openable and closed by means of a valve 270 so that any air trapped in the cylindrical space 258 can be expelled by opening the valve 270, as hereinafter described describe.

The pod 234 may be implemented similarly to the pod 106 and is lowered into the cylindrical space 258 of the outer box 230 . The cylindrical recess 272 of the closed cavity 274 of the pod 234 is adapted to receive the air duct 268 therein so that the pod 234 rests or is set on the air duct 268 when the pod 234 is fully submerged into the outer tank 230 .

The inner riser 236 may be implemented similarly to the inner riser 108 or different therefrom. The inner riser 236 is placed at least partially into the second annular space 256 and is dimensioned such that when the inner riser 236 is fully submerged in the outer tank 230, the inner riser 236 abuts or is set at The top of compartment 234. An optional bumper pad 276 may be used to buffer the connection between the inner riser 236 and the compartment 234 .

The outer riser 238 may be implemented similarly to the outer riser 110 or different therefrom. Outer riser 238 is disposed at least partially into first annular space 254 and is dimensioned such that when outer riser 238 is fully submerged in outer tank 230, outer riser 238 sets or abuts against on the internal riser 236. Outer riser 238 is connected to hydraulic capture member 240 such that hydraulic capture member 240 generates a large volume of pressurized hydraulic fluid and stores this pressurized hydraulic fluid in a hydraulic accumulator (not shown). For example, hydraulic capture component 240 may be implemented similarly to hydraulic capture system 112 as described above.

Outer riser 238 , inner riser 236 , and pod 234 are vertically movable relative to outer tank 230 and may be implemented similarly to outer riser 110 , inner riser 108 , and pod 106 , respectively, as described above.

Referring now to FIG. 20 , there is shown an exemplary embodiment of a differential mass exchanger 232 in accordance with the inventive concepts disclosed herein. Differential mass exchanger 232 includes two or more swirling pockets 280 , actuator rod 282 , and hydraulic assist 284 .

The first swirl bag 280 is in fluid communication with unit 101a and the second swirl bag 280 is in fluid communication with unit 101b. The swivel bag 280 is substantially filled with the liquid 114 and functions to transfer a quantity of the liquid 114 from the outer tank 104 into the swivel bag 280 and from the swivel bag 280 into the outer tank 104 . The pressure of liquid 114 within swirl bag 280 may be measured by sensor 286 . The swivel bag 280 is in fluid communication with the liquid conduit 266 . Alternatively, swivel bags 280 may be in fluid communication with each other via conduit 288 , which may be selectively closed using gate valve 290 , for example.

Each of the two swivel bags 280 is connected to one end of the actuator rod 282 such that when the swivel bag 280 is filled with liquid 114, the end 292 of the actuator rod 282 is pulled upwards through the swivel bag 280 about a fulcrum 294 exert pressure. Simultaneously, the opposite end 296 of the actuator rod 282 is spun down about the fulcrum 294 when the swivel bag 280 is deflated and force and a volume of liquid 114 enters the second unit 101b. Actuator rod 282 may be constructed of any suitable material, such as, for example, steel, metal, titanium, plastic, resin, wood, and combinations thereof.

Actuator rod 282 is connected to rocker arm 298 such that rocker arm 298 moves about fulcrum 294 . Rocker arm 298 may be constructed of any suitable material, such as, for example, steel, metal, titanium, plastic, resin, wood, and combinations thereof.

An optional counterweight 300 may be connected to the rocker arm 298 and may be implemented similarly to the counterweight 222 . The weight 300 may include a fluid filled cavity (not shown). The counterweight 300 may be any suitable weight such as, for example, lead ingots, steel plates, concrete blocks, liquid filled chambers, and combinations thereof.

Hydraulic assist 284 is connected to rocker arm 298 such that hydraulic assist 284 can apply force to rocker arm 298 to initiate and control movement of rocker arm 298 about fulcrum 294 . Hydraulic assist 284 may be in fluid communication with hydraulic accumulator 212 and may be powered by pressurized hydraulic fluid supplied by hydraulic accumulator 212 .

The operation of differential mass exchanger 232 is similar to that of differential mass exchanger 102 except instead of moving air, differential mass exchanger 232 moves a volume of liquid 114 between tanks 104a and 104b and swirl bag 280 .

It should be understood that other shapes, materials, and dimensions may also be used for the various components of device 100 constructed in accordance with the inventive concepts disclosed herein, so long as such other shapes and dimensions are capable of forming concentric Adjusted stable build. It should be further understood that other stabilizing means may use the apparatus 100 according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein, together with dynamic centering, or with each other.

From the above description, it is clear that the inventive concept disclosed herein is suitable for carrying out the above objects and for obtaining the advantages mentioned herein as well as those inherent characteristics of the inventive concept disclosed herein. The presently preferred embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein have been described for purposes herein, it being understood that those skilled in the art may readily suggest numerous changes which lie within the scope of the inventive concepts disclosed herein, and defined by the appended claims.

Claims (6)

1. equipment comprises:

Outside case, described outside case have the bottom of open top, tank wall and sealing;

First ring wall, described first ring wall extend to first height from described bottom, described first ring wall separates from described tank wall, the annular space of winning is limited by described first ring wall and described tank wall, and second annular space limit by described first ring wall;

Second ring wall, described second ring wall extends to second height from described bottom, and be configured in described second annular space that is limited by described first ring wall, make to limit the 3rd annular space by described first ring wall and described second ring wall, and limit cylindric space by described second ring wall;

Columned air conduit, described air conduit pass the bottom and extend to the 3rd height, and enter in the described cylindric space;

Divide separation, separation was configured in the described cylindric space at least in part in described minute, described minute separation comprises top, wall and the bottom of the sealing of the inflatable chamber that limits sealing, described inflatable chamber has the cylindrical recesses of admitting described air conduit therein, described wall extends through described bottom to limit open displacement chamber, and described wall separates from described second ring wall by first annular space; And

The Promotion From Within pipe, described Promotion From Within pipe is configured in described the 3rd annular space at least in part, described Promotion From Within pipe has top, wall and the open bottom of the sealing that has upper and lower surface, the lower surface of described Promotion From Within pipe abuts on the inner ring wall, described wall separates from described inner ring wall by second annular space, and by separating from outside ring wall the 3rd annular space;

Outside riser, described outside riser is configured in described first annular space at least in part, and top, wall and open bottom with sealing, the top of described sealing abuts on described outside ring wall and the described Promotion From Within pipe, described wall separates from described outside ring wall by shape gap, Fourth Ring, and by separating from described tank wall in shape gap, five rings

Wherein said outside case is filled with liquid at least in part, and wherein said first annular space, described the 3rd annular space and shape gap, described five rings are full of liquid substantially, and described displacement chamber, described second annular space and shape gap, Fourth Ring do not have liquid substantially, make that described separation is robbed, described Promotion From Within pipe and described outside riser bodily light, and can move up with respect to described outside case.

2. equipment according to claim 1, comprise that also hydraulic pressure captures cylinder, described hydraulic pressure is captured cylinder and is held a certain amount of hydraulic fluid and be connected to described outside riser, making described hydraulic pressure capture cylinder can be activated by moving up of described outside riser, described hydraulic pressure is captured cylinder and is communicated with the hydraulic accumulator fluid, makes a certain amount of hydraulic fluid capture cylinder by described hydraulic pressure and enters described hydraulic accumulator movably.

3. according to the equipment of claim 2, wherein said hydraulic pressure is captured cylinder and is communicated with the shut off valve fluid, and described shut off valve can optionally stop described outside riser to move up.

4. equipment comprises:

First module comprises:

Outside case, described outside case have the bottom of open top, tank wall and sealing;

First ring wall, described first ring wall extend to first height from described bottom, described first ring wall separates from described tank wall, the annular space of winning is limited by described first ring wall and described tank wall, and second annular space limit by described first ring wall;

Second ring wall, described second ring wall extends to second height from described bottom, and be configured in described second annular space that is limited by described first ring wall, make to limit the 3rd annular space by described first ring wall and described second ring wall, and limit cylindric space by described second ring wall;

Columned air conduit, described air conduit pass described bottom and extend to the 3rd height, and enter in the described cylindric space;

Separation is robbed, separation was configured in the described cylindric space at least in part in described minute, top, wall and the bottom of the sealing that comprises the inflatable chamber that limits sealing robbed in described separation, described inflatable chamber has the cylindrical recesses that connects the described air conduit of sodium therein, described wall extends through described bottom to limit open displacement chamber, and described wall separates from described second ring wall by first annular space;

The Promotion From Within pipe, described Promotion From Within pipe is configured in described the 3rd annular space at least in part, described Promotion From Within pipe has top, wall and the open bottom of the sealing that has upper and lower surface, the lower surface of described Promotion From Within pipe abuts on the inner ring wall, described wall separates from described inner ring wall by second annular space, and by separating from outside ring wall the 3rd annular space; And

Outside riser, described outside riser is configured in described first annular space at least in part, and has a top of sealing, wall, and open bottom, the top of described sealing abuts on described outside ring wall and the described Promotion From Within pipe, described wall separates from described outside ring wall by shape gap, Fourth Ring, and by separating from described tank wall in shape gap, five rings, wherein said outside case is filled with liquid at least in part, and wherein said first annular space, described the 3rd annular space, and shape gap, described five rings is full of liquid substantially, and described displacement chamber, described second annular space, and shape gap, described Fourth Ring does not have liquid substantially, make described minute separation, described Promotion From Within pipe, and described outside riser is positive buoyancy, and can move up with respect to described outside case;

Unit second comprises:

Outside case, described outside case have the bottom of open top, tank wall and sealing;

First ring wall, described first ring wall extend to first height from described bottom, described first ring wall separates from described tank wall, the annular space of winning is limited by described first ring wall and described tank wall, and second annular space limit by described first ring wall;

Second ring wall, described second ring wall extends to second height from described bottom, and be configured in described second annular space that is limited by described first ring wall, make to limit the 3rd annular space by described first ring wall and described second ring wall, and limit cylindric space by described second ring wall;

Columned air conduit, described air conduit pass described bottom and extend to the 3rd height, and enter in the described cylindric space;

Separation is robbed, described separation is robbed and is configured at least in part in the described cylindric space, described minute separation comprises top, wall and the bottom of the sealing of the inflatable chamber that limits sealing, described inflatable chamber has the cylindrical recesses of admitting described air conduit therein, described wall extends through described bottom to limit open displacement chamber, and described wall separates from second ring wall by first annular space;

The Promotion From Within pipe, described Promotion From Within pipe is configured in described the 3rd annular space at least in part, described Promotion From Within pipe has top, wall and the open bottom of the sealing that has upper and lower surface, the lower surface of described Promotion From Within pipe abuts on the inner ring wall, described wall separates from described inner ring wall by second annular space, and by separating from outside ring wall the mat woven of fine bamboo strips three annular spaces; And

Outside riser, described outside promoted and was configured at least in part in described first annular space, and top, wall and open bottom with sealing, the top of described sealing abuts on described outside ring wall and the described Promotion From Within pipe, described wall separates from described outside ring wall by shape gap, Fourth Ring, and by separating from described tank wall in shape gap, five rings

Wherein said outside case is filled with liquid at least in part, and wherein said first annular space, described the 3rd annular space and shape gap, described mat woven of fine bamboo strips five rings are full of liquid substantially, and described displacement chamber, described second annular space and shape gap, described Fourth Ring do not have liquid substantially, make that described separation is robbed, described Promotion From Within pipe and described outside riser bodily light, and can move up with respect to described outside case; And

The air mass exchanger, it comprises auxiliary cylinders, the air of separating same amount in the both sides of described auxiliary cylinders, and be communicated with the air conduit of described first module and the air conduit fluid of described Unit second, described auxiliary cylinders can be between described first module and described Unit second mobile air in certain amount.

5. equipment according to claim 4, wherein said first module comprises that also first hydraulic pressure captures cylinder, described first hydraulic pressure is captured the outside riser that cylinder holds a certain amount of hydraulic fluid and is connected to described first module, making described first hydraulic pressure capture cylinder can be activated by moving up of described outside riser, described first hydraulic pressure is captured cylinder and is communicated with the hydraulic accumulator fluid, makes a certain amount of hydraulic fluid capture cylinder by described first hydraulic pressure and enters described hydraulic accumulator movably.

6. equipment according to claim 5, wherein said Unit second comprises that also second hydraulic pressure captures cylinder, described second hydraulic pressure is captured the outside riser that cylinder holds a certain amount of hydraulic fluid and is connected to described Unit second, making described second hydraulic pressure capture cylinder can be activated by moving up of described outside riser, described second hydraulic pressure is captured cylinder and is communicated with the hydraulic accumulator fluid, makes a certain amount of hydraulic fluid capture cylinder by described second hydraulic pressure and enters described hydraulic accumulator movably.

Images